Junior League of Jackson fulfills $1M pledge to Children’s campaign nearly two years early
Published on Sunday, December 1, 2019
By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu
Good financial stewardship has added up to the Junior League of Jackson fulfilling its $1 million commitment to the Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi nearly two years ahead of schedule.
“We are proud to not only fulfill our commitment to Children’s of Mississippi, but to also fulfill that obligation earlier than anticipated,” said LaKeysha Greer Isaac, Junior League of Jackson president.
Celebrating the Junior League of Jackson’s $1 million gift to the Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi are, from left, Meredith Aldridge, 2018-2019 JLJ president and director of development for Children’s of Mississippi; Keri Henley, UMMC associate executive director of development; Melanie Hataway, 2016-2017 JLJ president; 2019-2020 JLJ president LaKeysha Greer Isaac; Dr. Barbara Saunders, JLJ member and division chief for Child
Development at UMMC’s Center for Advancement of Youth; Natalie Hutto, executive director of the Department of Pediatrics at UMMC; and Heidi Noel, 2017-2018 JLJ president.
The Junior League announced their $1 million commitment to helping complete the pediatric expansion at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in November 2017, and with a goal of satisfying that commitment by May 31, 2021.
The nonprofit organization’s donation includes their initial $400,000 gift to the Campaign in May 2017. The Junior League then pledged another $600,000, bringing their total commitment to $1 million.
“The League prides itself on the dedication and commitment of its members, our fundraising efforts, and strong financial leadership,” Isaac said. “These efforts, combined, have allowed us to continue to focus on our mission, which is to improve the lives of those in our
community.”
The west wing of the tower’s new neonatal intensive care space, including 22 private rooms, each with a private bath, will be named in honor of the Junior League of Jackson and in recognition of their history of supporting UMMC and its pediatric arm, Children’s of Mississippi.
The Junior League of Jackson has supported the causes of children’s health and well-being in Mississippi for decades, including building the Children’s Cancer Center and helping fund the construction of the state’s only children’s hospital, which opened in 1997.